Game of Thrones inspires fans to travel

Game of Thrones are inspiring travel to several destinations including Ireland. Picture: Black Tomato.

The hit TV series Game of Thrones has got fans travelling to some of the locations featured on the show. The seventh season of the international hit series Game of Thrones recently launched with record breaking viewer figures and travel numbers are expected to also soar.

According to global travel and search platform, Cheapflights, the launch of Game of Thrones season six sparked over 55,000 searches for flights to filming locations as diverse as Reykjavik and Split to Dubrovnik and Bilbao and season seven will likely have the same effect.

“Travellers will undoubtedly be gripped by the seventh season of Game of Thrones, which according to the trailers brings us even more blood and lust from the shores of Westeros. Although filming was delayed to ensure authentic wintry scenes, travellers can take summer holiday inspiration from the set locations and jet off to follow in the footsteps of Sansa Stark and Jon Snow,” says Phil Bloomfield, Global Head of Communications & PR at Cheapflights.

He said according to their
research from the 2017 Cheapflights Compass Report, November is one of the most affordable times of year to travel as it’s off-peak. The Game of Thrones filming locations listed below are all reachable for R11 000 or less when flying from South Africa over this time,” continues Bloomfield.

Here are some
top Game of Thrones filming destinations and how to get there.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is known for its beautiful castles, glacial valleys and mountains, Celtic and Christian monuments, and coastal links golf courses. Located between the United Kingdom and Ireland, Northern Ireland shares the best of both worlds in terms of cultural influences.

Fans of the show will particularly love discovering Titanic Studios in Belfast where many of the interior scenes are filmed. Alternatively, drive an hour to Stranocum in County Antrim, which was used as a location in the second season. Fly from Johannesburg to Belfast return from R11 000.

Iceland

Iceland is home to the world’s most northerly capital city, Reykjavik and is a famous area for viewing the Northern Lights. At around 250 years old and with a history deeply rooted in Viking culture, Reykjavic is the ideal location to relive a scene from Game of Thrones.

There’s plenty more to see, from popular night life to museums like the National and Saga museums, to geothermal lagoons, like Blue Lagoon, and volcanos such as Hekla, Askja and Katla. Fly return from Johannesburg to Keflavik (which is a 40min drive from Reykjavik) from R10 000.

Croatia

Croatia is home to the world’s most atmospheric Roman ruin, the Diocletian’s Palace in Split, which appears as Meereen in Game of Thrones. Further down the coast is Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has an impressive 16th-century wall around it.

The city’s St. Dominic Street and its narrow alleys were used in most of the market scenes in King's Landing. Fly from Johannesburg to Dubrovnik return from R10 000.

Spain

Visit the Royal Dockyards, set to feature in season seven, as they explore Sunspear; or pay a visit to settings including beaches near Barrika, the islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and the port of Bermeo, all close to Bilbao.

Season seven, episode four, introduced fans to Highgarden, the ancestral home of House Tyrell, which is the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in the Andalusian province of Córdoba. Fly from Johannesburg to Bilbao or Cordoba, Spain return from R7 700.